The new VC library opened with a week long celebration that began with the dedication on Wednesday and reached a crescendo on Saturday.
“This is your library. Treat it like your home. Respect, honor and care are due. If you do, this library will become a community center for lifelong learning,” VC Friends of the Library Chairman Gerry Slusser told several hundred residents who came to the dedication Wednesday.
Fifth District County Supervisor Bill Horn joined the festivities of the grand opening of the $4.4 million library, which sits on 4.36 acres.
“It took us a little longer to get this built,” said Horn, “but it was worth the wait. The library is beautiful and will serve as the centerpiece for our community.”
Horn was joined by Alex Martinez, County Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (and a 12 year VC resident), Marilyn Crouch, County Library Director, Norm Syler, President, Valley Center History Museum and others to celebrate the library’s opening at 29200 Cole Grade Road.
“This library is something we are going to be proud of for generations to come,” said Martinez, introducing Mrs. Crouch, who was MC of the event.
She welcomed Boy Scout Troop #673, which presented the colors.
Crouch noted, “The County Board of Supervisors has consistently shown their support of libraries by providing funds to rebuild the county library system. . .and keeping the library system open.
“Bill Horn’s commitment to libraries has truly helped the library system and his commitment to better libraries is greatly valued by all of us,” she said.
Horn, clearly delighted with the new facility, told the crowd, “About two years ago I came into the Valley Center library and Sandy [Puccio, the branch manager] was there, in charge. I don’t think she recognized me. I was in there looking for a book. When I walked in we were getting ready to build some libraries and we hadn’t really considered Valley Center. I decided that of all of the places that should get a library, especially after all that money we saved when we sold the trash plant, I figured Valley Center ought to get some of it back.
“It’s probably twice as much library as we actually need at the moment, so don’t tell my colleagues. We had to tell them we were going to have a grand opening but I’m really glad they are not here. They’d be very, very jealous! We’re one of the few libraries to have a fireplace and some leather chairs. That was one of my requirements,” Horn concluded.
Horn recognized Louis and Abbie Wolfsheimer, who donated money to set up the VC History Museum building as part of the library.
He urged the Friends to raise money.. “We have big budget cuts coming and I don’t want to board up this place if I don’t have to!
Then, with a snip of a ribbon, the doors opened to the people of Valley Center.
Horn was the first person to check out a book after the grand opening. He took home Ronald Reagan: An American Life.
Inside numerous plants were scattered throughout the building, provided by Dos Valles Garden Club.
The new staff at the library includes Teresa Sheehey, Sandy Puccio, Marilyn Falsetti, Robin Isicson, Yadira Perez, Pat Winneguth, Sandra Coleman, Katherine Tish, Jennie Vaught, Joanna Ruiz, Richard Ramirez.
The library’s 14,000 square feet is nearly five times the size of the old one.
Adjacent to the new library will be the Valley Center History Museum, which is expected to open this spring.
“If we had not completed this project when we did,” said Horn, “expected budget cuts next year from the state could have halted construction.”
The library has a large stone fireplace at one end and a pumpkin-colored children’s reading room at the other.
Horn had pushed for a fireplace at the library. The library where he learned to read, in Pacific Beach, had a fireplace, he said. “I just thought that was really neat.”
There is also a local history room, the Valley Center Room. The library is furnished with mission-style wooden furniture and features a community room, kitchen, seminar room, 32 computers and a library bookstore. More than half the computers are connected to the Internet.
On Saturday the festivities continued with a jazz concert by the middle school band under the baton of Jeff Beck.
Sodas and hot dogs for 25 cents were provided courtesy of the Country Junction Deli.
A scene from Cinderella was performed inside by Ann’s School of Dance after the concert.
Seasonal selections were sung outside by the Boulos sisters, accompanied by Sydney Circle.
Marsi & Charles Carr, playing as Skylark, provided musical interludes on both Wednesday and Saturday.
By DAVID ROSS
The irony is that within a year or so Corral Liquor would have been purchased by the County—a victim of road widening.
Instead, the oldest commercial building in town became a victim of fire. Because owner Bill McMann couldn’t afford insurance for the old (between 85 and 105 years old) building, his loss is almost total.
Although the building was due to be demolished in a couple of years to make room for the four-lane widening of VC Road, the County had not yet made arrangements to do so.
Corral Liquor was gutted by fire Wednesday night in an alcohol-fed conflagration that lit up the night sky and closed down Valley Center Road’s southern commercial district from 5:30 to about 11 p.m.
Three people who lived in one room apartments next to the liquor store were rendered homeless by the fire, which investigators are saying was caused by faulty wiring.
Unruly Crowd
Also “lit up” apparently were several unruly bystanders stranded in the area. According to witnesses they offered loud, unsolicited advice to VC firefighters. At one point Chief Kevin O’Leary asked a deputy to help him with a drunken man who was interfering with him.
The man was later arrested for being drunk and disorderly, interfering with a firefighter and interfering with a peace officer.
Deputy Craig Rembold in his report referred to a “sometimes unruly and disobedient crowd.” Some vagrants attempted to steal unbroken liquor bottles late into the night, according to Fire Capt. Kathy Holgate.
Dave Karle, who was eating dinner at Fat Ivor’s told The Roadrunner, “While I was waiting for the dinner the bar emptied out and I went outside. While I can’t speak to whether the fire department was doing their job as far as getting the hoses connected, some of the crowd was yelling abusive language. They weren’t part of the solution. They didn’t make the situation better. It wasn’t everybody, of course, but it only takes a couple,” he said.
The fire apparently began about 5:12 p.m. in the old tower that was once a pump house. Kim Smith of Powerland Equipment called 911, according to the dispatcher’s record.
An ambulance returning from another call arrived within seconds. These firefighters reported that the roof of the building was “fully involved.”
Fire Engine 72 arrived at 5:14 p.m. and a San Pasqual engine and chief arrived at 5:20. Two more fire engines from CDF and one from Deer Springs Fire had arrived by 5:32.
“I don’t know why it took 15 minutes”
Owner Bill McMann became aware of the fire shortly after it started.
He told The Roadrunner, “I don’t know why it took 15 minutes until water was put on the fire. They sat here and watched.”
Dave Lafoon is owner of VC Muffler and Auto Repair, just behind the liquor store, which was also endangered by the fire. In his opinion the firefighters could have begun spraying water on the flames faster than they did.
When the first fire truck rolled up, Lafoon ran over to it and suggested that it pull into Old Road where it would have a clear shot at the fire, which, he insists, had just jumped from the tower to the main building.
“I told them they could put a direct line of water on the fire,” he said. “Nobody listened to me. It was like I was standing by myself.”
VCFPD Capt. Holgate would later tell The Roadrunner that the fire truck didn’t park on Old Road because of the hazard of power lines that might have been brought down by the blaze.
A firefighter told Lafoon that he saw flames inside the building, but Lafoon contests that.
“There’s no way they could have seen flames inside of the building because they had just touched the building,” he said. “They were just licking up the sides of the wall as they pulled up in their truck,” he said.
Lafoon conceded, “It’s not my job to fight fires. I may just be a bit distressed. But usually firefighters ask where they should go. They didn’t. She told me it was because five people were yelling at her at once.”
That’s certainly true, said Capt. Holgate, who, after a night of bringing all of the hot spots under control, was supervising the mop up about 9 a.m. on Thursday.
About that time a representative of County Environmental Health, grabbed McMann and told him he would have to dump all of his inventory, alcohol and food spared by the fire.
“We’re condemning it,” she said briskly, ordering him to arrange for a trash company to put a bin next to the building and dispose of the inventory.
Now Homeless
One of three people turned out into the street by the fire was Robert Minugh, who had been renting a single room.
He was outside working on his car when he heard a sound that reminded him of a glass bowl shattering. It was the fire breaking the windows of the tower.
Although his household possessions were burned, Minugh saved his shed and car from going up until fire vehicles arrived.
Minugh’s main problem, he says, is to get enough money to register his car so it will be legal for him to drive.
Another fire victim was Lori Silva, Bill McMann’s sister.
“We’ve lost half a million that the County won’t have to buy now,” she said. “Now all we have to sell is the land,” she said.
During the fire the American Red Cross had seven volunteers, including VC’s own Chris Manning, on the scene, serving hamburgers from Fat Ivor’s to firefighters and providing comfort to the victims.
A weary Capt. Holgate sat down with The Roadrunner and told her story.
“When the ambulance arrived with the first two firefighters, they reported smoke and fire on the roof, fully involved. We got there about a minute later.”
At that time, she says, “the tower was fully involved. I saw smoke under the eaves at the front of the building and haze inside of Corral Liquor itself.”
Before doing anything else, she had to assess the situation so that she wouldn’t send firefighters into an unknown situation.
“Alot of people were upset because we didn’t immediately put water on the fire. But you must have a plan first, otherwise you could end up with a disaster,” said Holgate. “We try to minimize the hazard.”
That’s why the engine didn’t park on Old Road, under the power lines, she said.
“When we come to a structure fire we have to figure out what the fire is doing and what it could do.”
Knowing that a storage room was full of liquor mandated extra caution.
The first thing she asked was if anyone was still inside
“As I came around the back where the tower was, my first impression was that one third to two thirds of the building was fully involved in the back. Smoke was coming out of the eaves and the attic was fully involved.”
At that moment CDF Chief Mike Bratton arrived take operational control of the fire. By that time Holgate had begun to direct water onto the fire.
Because they didn’t couldn’t enter the building they had to direct water onto it from outside.
“You’re Not Doing Your Job”
Although several onlookers complained that the firefighters didn’t pay any attention when they offered help and information, Holgate says, “If you several people coming up to you, and they are yelling things like, ‘There’s a fire in the back!’ I may pay a little less attention than to some information like if someone is in the house. I’m not being impolite. I just have a job to do.”
Although the building was a complete loss, firefighters did save the cash register, with the cash still inside, and two cats trapped on the roof.
One cat they startled off the roof with water, the other Capt. Holgate climbed up after and grabbed by the nape fur.
“As a firefighter,” said Holgate, “my goal is to save as much as we can. So, it’s disheartening to hear someone say, ‘You’re not doing your job when we are doing the best we can. But, having said that, I do understand their frustration.”
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To donate to the Red Cross’s local disaster relief fund, write to American Red Cross, POB 875224 San Diego 92184, call 619-452-7683 or visit their website at www.sdarc.org
The oldest commercial building in town burned down Wednesday night, and with it was destroyed a little bit of Valley Center’s history and heritage.
“It has a lot of history,” Petei McHenry, author of The History of Valley Center, told The Roadrunner.
The building was between 85-105 years old, depending on who you ask. It wasn’t the oldest building in town, only the oldest commercial building. Several residences are still standing in VC that are up to 150 years old, according to historical experts.
The building was, however, the site of a library, post office and general store.
Grace Chapel church, which still meets in VC, started in the same building.
Robert T. Baines, postmaster in VC after the turn of the last century, ran the post office out of his general store for five years.
The building had the only phone in the Valley during WWII. The phone number was VC1, and when people in the Valley had phone calls, the owner of the store would send the telephone messages over to them by messenger.
The adobe building next to Corral Liquor was built as an ice house. People would come in to buy ice for their ice boxes.
The building that would become Corral Liquor belonged to the Pilz family during the 1940s-50s. They sold it to the McMann, who owns the property and store today.
In 1978 a considerably older commercial building burned down at the corner of Lilac and Valley Center Roads. It was the site of the area’s first library and was also a general store at one time. Interestingly, it was burned down with the owner’s permission, in order to provide firefighting practice for the fire department.
A 117-square mile Mexican fruit fly quarantine was decreed Friday over much of Valley Center and Pauma Valley.
The quarantine affects 1000 local growers, including possibly as many as 100 organic growers.
The quarantine was announced Friday in VC at a news conference by County Ag Commissioner Kathleen Thuner.
Speaking at the Fruit Fly Eradication Project HQ set up in the County’s road yards, Thuner told a small crowd of reporters and farmers that boundaries for the quarantine had finally been set.
The two-week delay between the discovery of the fly and the quarantine was, in part, to ensure that new infestations were not discovered.
“We delayed until we were comfortable with the boundaries. I feel very comfortable that we have been fortunate in the past in delineating boundaries so that we didn’t have to do it again.
“In the core area we are still working on the eradication program,” she said.
What form that eradication will take had still not been worked out on Friday. For instance, whether sterile male fruit flies or spraying will be used. All options are still up in the air.
The decision on how to eradicate the threat will be made by the state and federal ag authorities, Thuner told The Roadrunner.
“The County has very little to say about the eradication program because that’s a matter of international treaty,” she said.
She warned that “this has the potential to become a statewide issue,” threatening the entire state’s $28 billion ag industry.
Two weeks ago eight VC farmers in the core areas took matters into their own hands and hired a helicopter to spray their groves with malathion bait.
The County was silent about the farmers’ action, although state and federal authorities were quick to congratulate them.
On Friday Thuner added her own positive words about the spraying.
“That was a decision that we support,” said Thuner.
Some growers continue to be highly critical of the government task force’s allegedly slow reaction to the problem.
One grower, Gary Broomell, said the problem could be traced to government laxity in keeping the pest out of the U.S.
“I don’t care what anyone says, these guys were too lax in protecting us from this,” said Broomell.
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Over the weekend another 16 Mexflies were trapped at three sites, bringing the total captured so far to 76 adult flies at 26 sites and six larval sites.
California Dept. of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) established the quarantine zone to prevent the spread of a Mexican fruit fly infestation centered around 14 sites near Lilac & Keys Creek Roads.
The sites are within two and a half miles of each other (see map for the centers of the infestation).
The zone goes as far north as the Riverside County line, to the east just outside of Pauma Valley, as far south as Mirar De Valley Road in Valley Center, and to the west roughly along I-15.
The zone follows roadways so that the boundaries don’t bisect individual properties.
Products that are hosts for the Mexfly may not be shipped out of the quarantine zone unless they have been treated or processed, and are authorized by the county agricultural commissioner, USDA or CDFA.
In fact, said Thuner, residents really shouldn’t even remove fruit from their property.
“It’s got to stay on your property unless you juice it, bake it or process it,” she said.
So far 311 growers have signed compliance agreements. These agreements specify pre-harvest and post-harvest treatments that, once done, allow the commodities to be put on the market.
Hold notices have been placed on properties where adult flies or larvae have been found to prevent the spread of the pest.
Residents or people moving through the affected zone may not move backyard fruits and vegetables from the area. The quarantine will remain in effect until eradication is officially declared, which is expected to take at least eight months.
There is a misdemeanor penalty of $1000 for violating the quarantine.
“The Mexican fruit fly is a devastating pest that, left unchecked, can cause severe and permanent damage to California agriculture,” said CDFA Secretary William J. Lyons Jr. “This quarantine is a necessary step, even though, as a farmer, I know the hardship that will be felt by many growers. I wish to thank them in advance for their cooperation. We pledge to eradicate this pest as quickly as possible.”
The Mexican fruit fly is native to southern and central Mexico. It attacks over 40 different kinds of fruits, including citrus and avocado. The female fly lays eggs in the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots which make the fruit unfit for human consumption. It is not a threat to human health, however.
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Persons interested in obtaining their own copy of the quarantine map shown on page A1 can visit www.cdfa.ca.gov under the “Hot News Items” link. Maps are also available at the project office on Valley Center & Cole Grade Roads (the County road yards).
Growers, packers, shippers and others with questions about regulatory requirements may get information or sign compliance agreements each weekday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the project HQ.
Residents with question may call 800-491-1899.
The Valley Roadrunner
P.O.B. 1529, Valley Center, CA 92082
Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
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